The present invention is a foot operated wheel brake for shopping carts or other wheeled equipment, and more particularly, to a positive locking, selectively operating foot actuated wheel brake for selective releasable braking engagement with respect to a rotatably mounted wheel on a shopping cart or other wheeled equipment, so as to immobilize the shopping cart or other wheeled equipment.
Various types of brake devices or assemblies for different types of wheeled equipment have been developed. In general, such brake devices or assemblies are designed to prevent rotation of a single wheel in such wheeled equipment, so as to immobilize same. Examples of such foot operated brake devices or assemblies include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,493,085; 4,035,864; 4,349,937; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 288,285. While such prior art brake devices or assemblies have found usefulness in certain types of wheeled equipment, they have not been used in shopping carts, even though there is a great need for such devices in order to prevent the prevent the problem of runaway shopping carts.
Shopping carts are wonderful to use except when it comes to loading a car from the shopping cart or trying to find a place to leave the shopping cart, after use. Users easily remember the many frustrating experiences they have encountered in trying to unload groceries or other products from a shopping cart into a car. Since there is nothing presently used on the shopping cart which would prevent it from rolling away, the user must somehow hold on to the shopping cart, while unloading same. Typically, users hold the cart with their feet or other parts of their bodies, while unloading the contents of the cart into a car. This problem is more than simply an inconvenience or frustration because the shopping cart can easily roll away and cause damage to the user's car or other cars nearby, as well as the cart itself. Additionally, injury to users or other people passing by is also a problem with runaway carts.
After use of the shopping cart, the user looks for a place to leave it. For this purpose, cart corrals have been developed, for storing and nesting the shopping carts, after use. Users are expected to position the shopping cart in the cart corral after use; however, many shoppers do not use cart corrals, for a variety of reasons. As will be appreciated, this creates another potential runaway cart problem, where the topography and/or high winds cause the cart to move to an unwanted location.
Runaway shopping carts have been clocked at speeds exceeding 30 mph in high winds. Carts travelling at such speeds can cause serious injury to pedestrians and motorists. Damage to vehicles increases during periods of high winds, due to runaway carts. Damage to the carts themselves are also a problem because substantial repair costs are involved. The average shopping cart costs between $170 and $450, in the early 1990's. Repair and/or replacement of the damaged carts is an ever present problem to a store owner.
The runaway shopping cart not only creates the potential for injury and inconvenience to users, but damage to vehicles (on both lots and adjoining streets), as well as damage to the carts themselves. In addition, increases in insurance premiums and deductibles may also occur. Repair of minor shopping cart damage may cost $200 or more. Oftentimes, the store owner's deductible will not cover the costs associated with repairing damage to vehicles, not to mention the damage to the cart itself.
As will be disclosed in the specific description of the invention that is to follow, the wheel brake of the present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems primarily encountered with shopping carts, although the wheel brake of the present invention may be employed on other types of wheeled equipment, as may be desired.